Cuba – A Pandemic Turning Point?

May 2, 2020

It seems that every other email or call I receive, checking in to see how I and SRAS are doing includes a remark along the lines of “this must be just torture for you to be in one place this long.” Indeed, it is the longest stretch of time without travel since perhaps when my children were extremely young. I feel a bit out of rhythm, like I should be scrambling to clear my inbox and pack for a trip. I finally have the very thing I crave when I am busy with travel – extended periods of time during which I can focus on bigger projects. And yet, when my mind drifts, it tends to be either to memories of past travels or to where I will go next, as soon as it is possible.

Havana is high on my travel list. Somehow I can’t get enough of the place. Perhaps it is because I feel there is still so much to be learned not only about Cuba, but also about the world itself from the perspective of Cuba.

The Island of Doctors

As COVID-19 spread across the globe, I was curious to see how this would play out in Cuba. It is an island, one that even when it does not want to be, is isolated from much of the world, be it by politics or distance. The Cuban people themselves are not highly mobile. Cuba also has a very high ratio of doctors within its population and has active institutions known for developing vaccines and medical treatments.

Cuba has existed in a state of preparedness and discipline for many years, something that has spared them from the worst of the devastation from other natural disasters – like hurricanes – at least in terms of lives lost.

Nonetheless, despite sanctions, tourism is a very large part of the Cuban economy and it follows that while there is not so much outward mobility, tourists do pass through. Thus, in mid-March, Cuba registered its first cases of COVID-19 and joined the rest of the world in the global fight against the virus.

Medical Diplomacy

In Cuba-Russia Connection: Studies in Cultural Diplomacy we look at the many forms public diplomacy can take. Russia and Cuba provide us with a wealth of case studies and one unique example is medical diplomacy. This has been a long-standing tradition of Cuba, initially offered in “solidarity” (i.e., diplomacy) but then transformed (as professional services) into what is now one of the largest parts of Cuba’s GDP.

It has been fascinating to observe how Cuba has returned to the playbook of medical diplomacy in this crisis. Most of us (in the US) will only see a few articles about the Cuban doctors who are traveling to Italy and around the Caribbean to provide valuable assistance. However, Cuba is broadcasting this action as loudly as possible, and it gets picked up by some other publications. Mainly I see this in the social media of my Cuban acquaintances. Some stories simply highlight the brave service of the Cuban doctors. Others draw attention to the immorality of continued sanctions against Cuba in a time of pandemic, stressing that they make importing medicine and equipment more difficult. Still other stories highlight Inteferon Alpha-2B, a drug that Cuba played a large role in developing and which is now being used to treat COVID-19 around the world.

Ramping up Diversification

I had an interesting discussion recently with a colleague in Havana, a young professor of economics at University of Havana who also works in the private tourism sector. While our objective was to update our program for 2021, logically much of the discussion centered around the Cuban economy and the current challenges it faces. He stressed that it is becoming clearer to the population that Cuba cannot be so dependent on tourism. The natural client base in the US, 90 miles away, cannot be relied on, with political winds changing with each administration. The huge investments being made in the tourism sector need to be diverted so that the economy can diversify. Their identity as a medical powerhouse should be used to further promote the biotech sector. Investment in agriculture is also critical.

Perhaps most importantly, as it affects all sectors of the economy, investments in IT are long-overdue. COVID-19 has illustrated to the world the critical role of IT infrastructure. As classes, businesses, and offices went online across the world, it became clear that this would create greater gaps between the IT “haves” and the IT “have-nots.” Cuba is almost wholly in the “have not” category when it comes to IT infrastructure, severely limiting the ability of an otherwise very talented workforce to compete in the global economy – and particularly under social distancing conditions.

Not Another Beach

Cuba can’t just be another exotic beach destination. The potential of the island is way beyond that. As is the case anywhere, there have been forces against change, and these chains hold it back. We are seeing a global trend, however, of these chains snapping – in education, medicine, and more. I hope this is the black swan event that becomes a game changer for Cuba.

About the Author

Renee (Stillings) Huhs

Renee first visited the Soviet Union in 1990 to study at MGU after graduating from Boston University with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. After working at a technical translation company in Boston, she returned to Moscow in 1992 for permanent residence until 1998. During that time she worked in the Russian financial markets and eventually founded SRAS as well as co-founded Alinga Consulting Group. Renee is now based in Woodside, CA with her family and continues to travel frequently not only to SRAS sites, but throughout the world and with eyes open for new ideas in education abroad.

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Just yesterday my student successfully defended her honors thesis on environmentalism around Lake Baikal, a project that would not have been possible without the fieldwork that she conducted on her SRAS study abroad program in Irkutsk. I hope to see more such projects in the future and will keep directing students to SRAS programs!

Julia ChadagaVisiting Assistant ProfessorMacalester College

At Stetson, we’ve used SRAS to arrange all of our student study abroad trips for the past five or six years. During that time we’ve sent dozens of students on summer- and semester-long programs in Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Irkutsk. In every interaction I’ve had with them, SRAS has been prompt, reliable, knowledgable, courteous and quick to lend a hand when needed.

Dr. Michael A. DennerProfessor and Director, SPREESStetson University

A long overdue thank you for the wonderful trip you and your staff planned for the Drew group in St. Petersburg. I have never had a trip where NOTHING went wrong. It was a terrific experience from start to finish, your staff was superb and St. Petersburg Economics University was a marvelous host. We enjoyed each and every lecture and guide, and the many fine added touches. I would love to do this again.

Dr. Carol R. UelandProfessor of RussianDrew University

The SRAS guides were excellent! They really knew their stuff and were able to relate the history of the places we visited in an interesting and inventive way. It was obvious they had a lot of experience working with American students.

Charles Arndt IIIVisiting Assistant ProfessorUnion College

We had a great time overall. The students were super impressed with SRAS — the guides, the accommodations, the excursions, etc. The guides were super knowledgeable and kind–the only thing that would improve the tours is volume. They tend to speak quietly so a few people who can’t hear lose interest. But we loved the Hermitage art project and Novgorod, and the bunker, and going behind the fountains at Peterhof, and the boat to Peterhof… We loved everything!

Ona Renner-FaheyAssociate Professor of RussianUniversity of Montana

I am very grateful to you for all your invaluable help with different aspects of the trip, the visa process and finding housing – it has all made a tremendous difference in making the trip go smoothly! (SRAS Research Coordinator) Andrei helped me a great deal, not just in terms of getting to know the different procedures for each of the archive centers, but also in offering his own insights from his own research experiences. I am very grateful to him for his patience, helpfulness, and thoughtful…

Rosibel RomanPhD Candidate in Global & Sociocultural StudiesFlorida International University

At a time in my life when I was at a crossroads regarding where my career might take me, this course showed me a path that truly inspired me, and I haven’t looked back since.

B. DeYoungReed College

My semester back home so far has been incredibly influenced by my semester abroad with SRAS and I find myself talking about it almost daily. Since many of my classes touch on the region (Europe after Socialism, Central Asian Politics), I’m able to add comments and insights unavailable to me before. My contributions to our Russian club have also been greatly enriched. Thank you for everything you did to facilitate this experience and going out of your way to ensure our success.

E. FinnUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst

Thanks again to (SRAS Assistant Director) Josh Wilson for being so helpful with getting us started! At our concluding discussion class yesterday I asked the students to write and then present five “Kliuchevykh slov” about their experience. Several of them wound up referencing Josh’s comments about trying to observe without judging, which he made during the Moscow Walking Tour. Thanks for helping me teach this course!

Jane CostlowProfessor of Environmental StudiesBates College

I’ve studied in Irkutsk and St. Petersburg with SRAS, but [Bishkek] is, by far, my favorite because of the intense focus on speaking skills. I spend about three hours, 4 times a week speaking one-on-one. It’s such a unique opportunity! The people are also especially friendly here. My homestay is fantastic, the coordinator is a never-ending wealth of help, and the food of Central Asia is delicious.

C. HughesThe Evergreen State College

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